Rituals of the Dead Hand lights its torches once again.
Formed in 2016 in Belgium, the band is part of The Nox Entity collective. In 2024, Lykaios (vocals/guitar/keyboards, Lhaäd, Entartung, Wolven), Isangrim (drums/keyboards, Hemelbestormer) and Beleth (bass) unveil the release of The Wretched and the Vile, their third album, via Immortal Frost Productions.
The album opens slowly with The Restless Doomed, a first composition that is initially very quiet, with flies and a macabre melody, gradually leading into a rhythmic beginning that suddenly becomes heavier. Dark vocal parts join the throbbing, oppressive mix, which develops into a frightening dissonance for a long time, before finally fading away to make way for Wij, Hoeren van Lucifer and its more aggressive approach, featuring notably blast and sharper riffs without delay. The sound remains hazy and anguished, but it doesn’t hesitate to offer us a few furious explosions, drawing on the brute force of Black Metal while retaining that characteristic languor, leading us to Ius Cruentationis, where the band chooses to attack first with energetic patterns before letting our minds be captured by heady sonorities. The track seems at once so short and infinite that it makes us lose track of time, stopping only to let Mayhem and the Goat assault us with their jerky Old School riffs, which pair strangely well with the ambient sounds and sharp leads. The screams are also much wilder, fitting perfectly with the vindictive stance of the musicians, who eventually get back to their imposing doom roots before offering us a very brief moment of respite followed by De Gnijdige, a track where the musicians literally unleash themselves to give violence free rein, suffocating us until they finally loosen their grip a little by slowing down slightly. The rhythm remains chaotic and populated by distant vocal interventions before joining the unhealthy Stigma Diabolicum, where funereal harmonics compete with dark growls and majestic keyboards, but also with an occasionally motivating rhythmic base before drawing its last breath.
The world of Rituals of the Dead Hand unfolds in an occult haze inspired by both Black Metal’s oppression and Doom Metal’s impressive tones, making The Wretched and the Vile an excellent tenebrous compendium that makes perfect use of its dissonant influences.
90/100